Elizabeth Gantz

Elizabeth (Betty) Gantz, age 91, passed away in Stuart, Florida on Monday, August 19, 2024. She was born in Kernei, Yugoslavia to Franz and Elisabeth (Mueller) Oswald on June 20, 1933. She met Gerhard (Jerry) Gantz in Ontario, where they were married on October 16, 1954—the historic floods caused by Hurricane Hazel that day ultimately no match for their enduring union.

Elizabeth moved to the Chicago area with Gerhard and their two children in the 1960s. She worked alongside her family for many years as they built two successful small businesses, a machine manufacturing company and a titanium tool company. Decades later, Elizabeth and Gerhard retired to Florida, trading snow for sunshine.

Elizabeth cherished her family above all. She was a devoted daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother and kept in close touch with loved ones across the globe. She also had many lifelong friends, and never forgot a birthday or anniversary. In addition to enjoying time with family and friends, she was an avid sports fan with a competitive streak when playing sports herself; favorites included soccer, bowling, and golf, and she especially relished challenging someone to an arm-wrestling match. Other pastimes included watching classic movies, singing the many traditional German songs she knew by heart, riding her bicycle, and dancing the polka. She also loved strong coffee, sweets, yellow roses, and luxury cars (which she liked to drive fast).

She is survived by her son Jeffrey Gantz and her daughter-in-law Lynn (Christensen) Gantz; her daughter Erica (Gantz) Mason and her son-in-law Gerald Mason; her granddaughter Toni Gantz and her husband David Blei; her grandson Lucas Mason and his fiancé Cathleen Cooke; her granddaughter Nicole (Gantz) Weidensaul and her husband Daniel Weidensaul; and her great-grandchildren Ramona and Eli Blei-Gantz. She is predeceased by Gerhard, her beloved husband of 62 years.